Sunday, March 25, 2007

I have really enjoyed this disc and the bonus DVD adds to the fun. Musically, The Young Knives sound somewhat like The Jam or Stiff Little Fingers but they also incorporate the start/stop rhythms made popular by Gang of 4. Guitarist Henry Dartnall and his brother "House of Lords" have solid voices for this type of music (think Jimmy Pursey and/or Bruce Foxton) and share and trade off vocals throughout this disc.

This disc is well produced but shouldn't be confused with the slick pop sounds of Green Day or Franz Ferdinand -- many of these songs are played with the same urgency that The Jam had in their day. The songwriting is solid across this disc and the band is able to change and explore different sounds and tempos without losing their core sound. All of this keeps the disc interesting from start to finish.

There wasn't a lyric sheet with the disc so I haven't yet made out all of the words to the songs but what I have heard is interesting. A number of the songs are narratives in the style of the Stan Ridgeway-era Wall of Voodoo and highlight the band's dark and wicked sense of humor.

The DVD is quite enjoyable as well. It features 6 songs from a 2005 performance in London and includes two previous unreleased tracks. There are also some Monkees-ish non-sequiturs between tracks that add to the band's charm. There are also 9 videos that follow the band's live concert that play upon the band's humor and highlight their strong songwriting skills.

As this disc is priced lower than most single CDs ($14 on Amazon), I would consider this a "must have".

Previous Posts:Review and Pictures from the Band's Show at Luna Lounge, Brooklyn [link]